Friday, 3 October 2014

Of Raging Battles, Inside & Out | My Review Haider

Hamlet is one of the most melancholic and variously interpreted
of Shakespeare's plays. The tragic
prince, his pain, his confusion, his heartbreak and the deceits that fraught
his life... it became even more wrenching as it all came from his own. The
wounds on his soul were not carved by the enemy, but ones he loved. And that is
the biggest tragedy of life, all of our lives when betrayed by those we trust.

This is the third of Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of the
Bard's works. Starting with Maqbool (Macbeth) and Omkara (Othello). Betrayal,
passion and forbidden love run through these as a theme, and the same continues
in Haider (Hamlet).

Considering it is a tough play to adapt and mould while
adding your own interpretations and twists, Vishal Bhardwaj had taken up a
mammoth challenge. To make a dark, tragic tale into something even more relevant
in today's time, he picked up yet another challenge, to set the film in the
Kashmir of 1995, the militancy at its peak, the Army waging an intense war
against terrorism, the common man, torn by both sides,
coming in the crosshairs willingly or unwillingly.

Coming to the film, it has been shot mostly on locations in
Kashmir. Visually it is stunning, revealing a side of Kashmir hitherto unseen. It
is not the mughal gardens, the dal lake and the skiing spots. It is the
everyday Kashmir, which also bore the brunt of the unrest and violence. If it
is quiet and full of pathos, it is because it has been witness to tragedy.
People walking without a spring in their step, pained faces and shoulders limp.
VB has captured the broken spirit of the people masterfully.

The film is two parallel worlds intertwined. The journey of
Haider (Shahid) and the journey of Kashmir and Kashmiris. VB excels in telling
the story of Haider.

Shahid Kapoor, who despite being panned by many, I have
always liked, his potential wasted in frivolous films in the past, but shining
in films like JWM, Kaminey and now Haider, his best performance to date. He
owns the character from the beginning, the emptiness in his eyes as he returns
to Srinagar from Aligarh, after hearing about his father's disappearance. The
quiet storm raging inside him as he watches his mother flirt with his uncle,
the mad glint in his eyes as his whole world falls apart. He has proven that in the hands of a fine
director, he will shine.

Kay Kay as Khurram, the conniving uncle, is back in form. He
enjoys every scene, relishing each line, staying just a little longer in
places, but he plays Claudius well. Shraddha Kapoor as Arshiya (Ophelia) brings
in warmth and light to the dark tale, the girl has still a long way to go as a
performer, but in Haider, her charm works, her wide mouthed laughter is a great
foil to Haider's brooding looks. It is good to see Lalit Parimoo on the big
screen, as the gray shaded father of Arshiya, who is against their love, he is
adept.

What delighted me was a cameo by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, whose track was
opened and then forgotten all in a hurry. Another gem of a cameo is that of
Irrfan Khan, he plays the "Ghost" inspired Roohdar, enjoying himself
in this short but powerful part. The other supporting actors are extremely well
cast too. Sumit Kaul and Rajat Bhagat as the Salmans are delightful, the
grave-diggers are ominous yet playful, Narendra Jha as Haider's father (King
Hamlet) does a decent job, though I found his presence not so powerful.

And now coming to the scene-stealer, Tabu. Her Gazala
(Gertrude), Haider's mother, is breathtaking. Those eyes! they speak, smile,
cry, bemoan, quiver, shine, scold, beg, love.... We have seen Tabu in Maqbool
as Nimmi (Lady Macbeth) which was her
finest performance, Haider's Gazala gives it a tough competition. Her character
of a woman who loves her son, to death... a wife who has not been a perfect
partner, divided between multiple shades... She owns the film. Shahid's fire to excel and Tabu's honing of
her own craft, crackle the screen when they are together.

The story of a son's mission to find his missing father and
dealing with life's tragic twists, Haider will move you to a realm that is dark
and depressing, yet satisfying. The end is Vishal's own, which works. The co-writer on the film is the renowned Kashmiri Journalist Basharat Peer, whose real life experiences have helped create the world of Haider and the Kashmir we see in the film. The
dialogues by Vishal Bhardwaj are memorable, sharp, witty and soulful, a rarity these
days.

Coming to the Kashmir VB has created. The life without
cheer, every day spent in fear, curfews and bullets, the paradise lost. I liked
the gloom and the injustice of the situation, the futility of hatred, the sad
phenomenon of "Half Widows", wives of the thousands who have
disappeared... never to be found... But yes, I found the representation of
"Kashmiris" almost myopic. The portrayal has conveniently forgotten the
large chunk of Kashmiris who are the
Pandits, displaced from their land, their homes, their livelihood lost. A
passing reference cannot be enough when you are talking of 1995, when chaos
reigned supreme in every single Kashmiris life. The beauty of Kashmir also
stemmed from the love and harmony of its people, which was the first casualty
of terrorism. The take on Terror itself is unclear.

So about the Kashmir of the
film I have questions, which were not answered . Yes it is a fictional
recreation and liberties can be taken, but then why even put a slate in the end
applauding the efforts of the Army in the recent flood rescue and
rehabilitation? When in the film the Army is actually shown in less than complimentary light.

Having said that, Haider is an important film, on many
levels. The unflinching storytelling, raising the difficult questions our
cinema today shies away from, bringing Kashmir to the forefront and above all,
giving us a film that stays with you long after you have watched it, in the
times of popcorn cinema, which leaves you empty, just like the popcorn tub
after you are done.

The subtle exploring of the Oedipus complex, with Tabu just
killing it with her trembling hands and brimming eyes... aah, that itself was
worth my ticket price.

The music by
Bhardwaj and poetry by Gulzar adds a lilting layer. I do wish the length had
been a bit less, but well, that indulgence I shall allow. The production design of the film is another trump card, from the shawls, namdas, pottery to the locations, it is perfect.